Border fencing on right track: BSF top official

SHILLONG, Dec 1: The border fencing along the Indo-Bangla international border is progressing in the right direction, according to Inspector General (IG) of the BSF Meghalaya Frontier, Inderjit Singh Rana, who also said that about 75 per cent of fencing work has been completed.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion of the 58th Raising Day here on Thursday, Rana, however, said there are hurdles in completion of the border fending in the form of land acquisition.
“It will take time and I am sure it is progressing in the right direction. Hopefully we will be getting the land on a fast track,” the BSF IG said.
According to him, they are well-equipped with floodlights and sensors along with CCTV cameras to man the border.
With regard to militancy, the BSF IG said that they do not have the exact figures on the presence of insurgents from Northeast and their camps in Bangladesh.
“Whenever we get any details from the state authorities, we try to pursue this. …the situation is better than before,” the IG said.
He, however, stated that normally they share information with concerned agencies as and when they receive a list of such militant camps from the state authorities or Border Guards Bangladesh.
Asked whether a new border haat is coming up, the BSF IG said there are three operational border haats so far including the one at Kalaichar area which was reopened on Thursday.
“We are taking up with the Centre on the setting up of more border haats,” Rana said.
On the other hand, he said the BSF has seized smuggled goods worth more than Rs 25 crore in the past few months.
These seized smuggled goods include cattle, drugs and narcotics, gold and other miscellaneous items.
As per official figures, between January and November this year, the BSF Meghalaya seized a total of 3,088 cattle worth Rs 4.91 core; 9,448 bottles of liquor worth Rs 12.47 lakh; 7,471 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup worth Rs 15.04 lakh; hemp/ganja worth Rs 3.80 lakh; yaba tablets worth Rs 51.90 lakh; besides other miscellaneous items worth Rs 19.41 crore.
Also, the BSF has seized Rs 87,500 worth fake Indian currency.
A total of 123 miscreants were apprehended while violating the sanctity of the international border. The tally comprises 30 Rohingya, 32 Bangladeshis and 61 Indians.